Alta Special Steel Co.

,Ltd
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The harmful effects of non metallic inclusions and its influence on Metal Properties

Due to the existence of non-metallic inclusion in steel, the metallic continuity will be damaged :
mechanical character, physical properties, chemical properties and process performance will
be decreased. For example, the non-metallic inclusion could lead to stress raisers, as a result
of fatigue-induced fracture. The large number and uneven distribution of inclusions will
significantly reduce the plasticity of steel, toughness, weldability and corrosion resistance.
Mesh-like sulfides can cause hot brittleness, corroded media can cause pitting corrosion.

Sulfide hazards
Because MnS is easily soluble in Cl-containing water, it will reduce the corrosion resistance of
steel (especially to reduce pitting and crevice corrosion resistance) and the plasticity,
toughness and fatigue resistance of steel. If the sulfide content in steel exceeds a certain
standard, it will cause slab crack in the smelting and rolling process.

Oxides and silicates hazards

Oxides and silicates can damage the continuity of the steel matrix and lead to stress
concentration, on the one hand to the deterioration of the transverse mechanical properties of
steel, on the other hand to reduce the cutting performance of steel, thereby reducing the
plasticity of steel, toughness and fatigue Performance, such as FIgure 1 : oxide damage the
steel substrate uniformity, continuity. The surface flaking, scarring, ruggedness, and cracking
of the steel material are related to the oxides and nitrideS of the metals in the steel, SiO2, FeO,
Al2O3, and titanium.

Figure1 : The oxide in scanning electron microscopy

Nitrides hazards
The nitride inclusions are characterized by high hardness, not easily deformed and clumped
distribution. As the increase Of the nitrides, the brittleness of the steel will increased obviously.
The geometric shape of nitrides will form a crack source of transcrystalline rupture in the steel.

Influence on steel properties

The composition, quantity, shape, distribution of the non-metallic inclusions and the spatial
distribution in the matrix have different degrees Affect on the strength, plasticity, toughness,

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No. 86 Rd Hexi, Xisaishan Industrial Park, Huangshi, Hubei Province, China

Tel: 86 714 3064045 Fax:86 714 3046045 Contact: sales@altaspecialsteel.com Website: www.altaspecialsteel.com

fatigue, cutting and corrosion resistance of steel.

Influence on steel strength

When a metal breaks, cracks are not only formed in the matrix but also often in the inclusions.
This is because the inclusion can not produce the corresponding deformation when metal is
deformed, it will produce more and more stress which surrounding inclusions, so that it will
lead to micro-cracks in the interface between the inclusions and the matrix micro-cracks. Once
under the action of tensile stress or shear stress, It would produce fracture along the direction
of Inclusions,which can cause rupture.

The results show that the influence of inclusions on the strength of steel is closely related to
the grain size. When the inclusions are relatively large (> 10m), the yield strength of the steel
get significantly decreased and the tensile strength of the steel is reduced. When the
inclusions are small to a certain Size (<0.3m), the yield strength and tensile strength of steel
will get significantly improved.

Influence on the plasticity

In general, inclusions have little effect on the longitudinal ductility of steel, but the effect on
transverse ductility is significant. The transverse section shrinkage will decreased along with
the total amount of inclusions and the number of banded inclusions growth. The influence of
inclusions on the ductility of Low carbon austenitic steels is greatly affected by the fine
secondary phase precipitates (such as AlN, TiN, etc.) which can effectively pin the austenite
grain boundaries.

Influence on the toughness

In the process of deformation of metal, inclusions with the metal elasticity, plastic have quite a
big difference, can not be deformed with the matrix, and then it will produce more and more
stress surrounding it, so that lead to its own fracture, or produce micro-cracks as it take apart
from the interface of matrix. With the deformation process on going, micro-cracks will
continuously produced and develop into holes, endlessly expanding of hole size, it would lead
a result of breakage by connecting adjacent holes. The growth of the quantities and length of S
and sulfide will significantly reduce the toughness index. The results Show that the inclusion
content is inversely proportional to the fracture toughness.

Influence on the fatigue properties

There are two ways for inclusions induced the fatigue crack in steel : First, under the condition
of service the inclusion can not Deliver the stress which existing in the steel matrix, while
would produce stress surrounding the inclusion, formed crack and nuclear. Second, during the
processing of steel, the inclusion own a degree of deformation, and micro-cracks are formed
into a fatigue source at the interface. It found that there are thick brittle or point-like
non-deformation of inclusions existed at the most serious fatigue failure place, during

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 Alta Special Steel Co.,Ltd
No. 86 Rd Hexi, Xisaishan Industrial Park, Huangshi, Hubei Province, China

Tel: 86 714 3064045 Fax:86 714 3046045 Contact: sales@altaspecialsteel.com Website: www.altaspecialsteel.com

researching the fatigue fracture of failure parts.

The study found that the fatigue limit be decreased along with the inclusion growth, the bigger
the inclusions are, the bigger the unfavorable effect is, and the brittle inclusion is more
influential than the plastic inclusion. the larger foreign oxide inclusions are more obvious. The
change of the inclusions size affects more on the fatigue performance than the changes in
inclusions content.

Influence on the cutting performance

Al2O3, Cr2O3, MnO, Al2O3 and calcium aluminate oxide inclusions greatly reduce the
machinability of the steel, but a certain content of MnO-SiO2-Al2O3 and CaO-SiO2-Al2O3
inclusion Material can improve the cutting of steel. Spherical sulfide inclusions can significantly
improve the cutting performance of steel, and the greater the sulfide particles, the better the
steel cutting.

Influence on the corrosion resistance

Sulfide and sulphide complexes are the root causes of corrosion of steel, and there are greater
effect by composite inclusions, while the single oxide inclusions does not cause pitting.

Review and summarize, the effect of non-metallic inclusions in steel on the properties of the
steel is multifaceted, which require us to pay necessitates attention to the production process
to minimize the errors that can be avoided in order to ensure the quality of the steel.

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